Booze News: La Social 5-Year Anniversary, Craft Container Happy Hour, Drinking Buddies Meetup

Thirsty? Wet your whistle with Booze News, our wrap-up of the week's best deals, parties, concoctions, industry gossip, and more.


La Social five-year anniversary weekend

Nali Patio's La Social may be diminutive and a little hard to find but once you're inside, you know you're in for a treat. The team have been providing the same tropical-drink-fuelled energy now for five years, causing menu a casual drink turning into an late-night danceathon. No doubt this weekend's festivities will include more of the same, with DJs Lin and Marcella taking over the decks on Friday as well as free aguardiente shots all night long. Then on Saturday, the party heads south for a Miami Vice-themed party (wear your best '80s sleeze). Entrance is RMB 50 after 10pm. Finally, finish off the weekend (and hopefully your hangover) with a La Social x Migas brunch party on Sunday, with food galore, signature La Social cocktails, and DJ C2 on the decks throughout. Get the full lowdown here.

Craft Container happy hour

As the weather improves, the city's terraces and outdoor seating areas are slowly coming to life. That includes East Beijing's standalone Craft Container. Located outside their Xian Bar, the container serves outdoor customers with an array of pizza and craft beer from some of Beijing's finest vendors. They also have a pretty great daily happy hour: 50 percent off all food and drinks Monday to Friday, 5-8pm, and Sunday, 11am-8pm. So cozy up in one of their sunken seating areas and get to it.

Drinking Buddies May meetup

Subscription beer service Drinking Buddies will hold their May meetup in de facto home, CBD's Glou, this Saturday, 4.30pm. The event is open to both Drinking Buddies subscription members (free) and non-members (RMB 78) with all attendees receiving a taster of each of the six selected May beers (see above) as well as one free glass of draft beer. RSVP here.

Mango ladies night

Would it be Booze News without a new ladies night? This week, its longstanding Ritan Park-adjacent Russian bar Mango who look to treat their female clientele, offering an open bar between 9pm-1am every Wednesday. Need we say more?

Jing-A's new Milk Tea IPA

Finally, we end with an exciting addition to Beijing's beer scene: Jing-A's new Milk Tea IPA. As the team explains, "Tired of waiting forever for their waimai naicha orders to come in, it was only a matter of time before the idea hit like a bucketload of boba: why not brew a Milk Tea beer?" The second in their naicha series, this new creamy 5.5 percent ABV brew is "A low-bitterness IPA bursting with bright fruit flavors from heaps of fresh strawberries. Additions of jasmine tea and lactose create an exceptionally smooth, milky, and rounded finish." Sounds like just what the doctor ordered. Get it from today at all Jing-A locations.

READ: Where to Grab Boozed Up Coffee in Beijing

Images courtesy of the organizers